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Metropolitan Council hears Bronze Line update as nearby residents press to move bridge farther from co‑op
Summary
The Metropolitan Council received an informational update on the Bronze Line and heard multiple residents from Phelan Village Co‑op who said an early bridge alignment may come within about 55 feet of their building; Council staff said engineers and consultants will re‑examine alignments and model views and noise.
The Metropolitan Council on July 8 received an informational update on the Bronze Line project and heard residents urge changes to a planned bridge alignment that they said would come very close to Phelan Village Cooperative.
Craig Lamont, the Council presenter, described the Bronze Line as a roughly 10‑mile Bus Rapid Transit corridor between downtown St. Paul and Maplewood Mall Transit Center with 22 stations (17 new), about five miles of bus lanes and two new bridges. He said the project will be delivered through a joint county‑council approach and that several interagency funding and delivery agreements will be brought to the Council later this year.
Residents from Phelan Village Co‑op told the Council they are worried about proximity and impacts. "There's 59 residents in this co op and the front half of the building we believe is only 55 feet or less from the windows," said Francine Fieldman, a Phelan Village resident. Jan Allen, another co‑op member, urged the Council to consider delaying the project so planners can better address vulnerable residents, saying a move now "would upset our whole system." Sharon Markham said the bridge "will cut off our building completely" if aligned too close and asked the Council to explore alternatives.
Lamont acknowledged those concerns and said the technical material shown at the meeting reflected an older design. He told the Council staff and members that "we're really starting at 0" on final bridge design and engineering and that project staff will pursue realignments so a bridge would sit further from the building if engineering makes it feasible. He added that consultants will be asked to validate spacing and that project contracts include banked scope for more detailed community‑facing analysis, including view and noise modeling for balconies that face the bridge.
Council members pressed for details on design alternatives, trail routing and noise. Council Member Wolf said modeling and clear public communication will be essential for neighbors to understand what to expect; Lamont confirmed the project team plans to include view modeling "from every balcony that faces the bridge." Lamont also said being non‑federal for some funding components allows the project to explore construction methods (for example, screw‑driven foundations rather than pile driving) that may reduce onsite impacts.
Lamont stressed coordination with nearby projects, including a county‑led daylighting creek effort that is at 90% design and a White Bear Avenue South roadway project, and warned that overlapping schedules could create several years of construction in the area, which will require careful staging.
The presentation did not request a Council vote; Lamont told the Council to expect a capital grant agreement for engineering funding in August, a consultant contract award in the next cycle, and a capital budget amendment in September to recognize county funding. The project team expects to advance the Bronze Line into the Transportation Policy Plan by late October. Residents and Council members said they will continue engagement in the design process.
